Cluster Ballooning

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May 2011 – June 2011

In high school, I had to do a project that was "awesome." I decided to research, design, plan, and execute a cluster ballooning flight. Research and planning time was approximately 30 hours, and setup was about 10 hours. The apparatus includes 18 helium filled weather balloons that are each 8 feet in diameter.

prototype balloon, not fully inflated

mapping out where to put helium tanks

bringing helium tanks out of the house

most of the helium tanks are now out

inflating first non-prototype balloon

still inflating first balloons

first balloon being tethered down to truck

tying a balloon to the rope

first several balloons

taking a balloon off the hose to be tied

inflating and tying off balloons

me tightening on the inflation hose

waiting for balloon to inflate

the finished array of balloons

test flight

beginning of first flight

first flight

me ascending up

me flying; notice the tether ropes

me flying